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11.10.2024

Popular game apps: Brawl Stars

☕️
3 minutes reading time
6-13 years
Communication
Entertainment
Safety
Games
Tool description
Supercell

Time to BRAWL! Cool characters, exciting matches, jewels and trophies – that’s the colorful game world of Brawl Stars. We present the popular mobile app.

In a nutshell:

What is Brawl Stars?

Brawl Stars is a mobile battle arena game for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, developed by Finnish game provider Supercell. It is based on the “free-to-play” model and is basically free of charge. In the game, you fight either alone or in teams of two or three against friends or other players. A round of the game lasts only a few minutes.

Players control characters known as “Brawlers.” Each Brawler has its own abilities and playstyle. The goal is to defeat opponents and other teams, collect gems, or complete specific tasks. As the game progresses, players can unlock new Brawlers, upgrade their abilities, and customize their appearance with skins and accessories. These extras are purchased with in-game coins earned during gameplay or obtained as rewards. You can use real money to buy in-game coins and use them to progress through the game more quickly.

The colorful and lively graphics, along with the simple controls, make the game accessible and entertaining for players of all ages. Brawl Stars also offers regular updates, events, and an active community that keep the game fresh and engaging.

What fascinates children and young people about it?

Free gaming apps appeal to many children and teens because they promise fun without a cost. Playing together as a team and competing against other players is especially exciting and fun. The rounds are entertaining, and you can progress quickly. The game’s visuals are also a highlight: With its cartoon-style graphics, everything in the game is colorful, and the brawlers look funny. Whoever wins a round receives rewards.

The game features loot boxes (surprise boxes) marked with a star symbol—also known as “Starr Drops.” Players who open Starr Drops receive random rewards such as new skins, sprays, accessories, coins, gems, or new Brawlers. The element of surprise and the prospect of obtaining stronger characters can quickly motivate children and teens to keep playing in order to get more Starr Drops and become increasingly “powerful” in duels.

What is problematic about the offer?

The short gameplay sessions and regular rewards make the game appealing and keep you wanting to keep playing.

Brawl Stars is played in teams. Players can create and join clubs. This means your child may come into contact with strangers who, in the worst-case scenario, are not who they claim to be. After playing in random matches, your child may receive friend requests from other players. This poses a risk of cyberbullying and cybergrooming.

For the chance to get rare brawlers or new coins, your child may be tempted to spend real money on in-game items and loot boxes. These purchases make it possible to equip their favorite Brawler with better abilities. There is also the option to purchase so-called “Brawl Passes”, which offer significantly more rewards and faster game progress. The game provider earns a lot of money with such mechanisms.

What does the provider think?

The official website of the provider, Supercell, features a guide for parents. Among other things, it highlights the in-app purchases available in the game and explains how parents can manage and, if necessary, disable them. Supercell states that it does not share personal data with third parties for commercial purposes or otherwise. To ensure safe chatting, the provider has created a “blacklist.” This quickly and automatically removes certain terms from chats. Chat messages can be muted and will then no longer be displayed.

What should parents pay attention to?

The best way to start is to discover the game together. Play together with your child to understand your child’s enthusiasm for the game.

  • Inform your child about in-app purchases and discuss whether your child is allowed to make them and, if so, how much.
  • As the game often tempts you to play a round on the side, agree on rules: How long can you play per day or per week?
  • Work together to adjust settings on your mobile device to restrict in-app purchases or set a daily screen time limit
  • If you are unsure whether your child’s play behavior exceeds normal limits, you can find out more here
  • Use the settings options in the game, for example to exclude contact with strangers via the chat function. Make your child aware not to disclose any personal data such as name, place of residence, etc.
  • Keep in touch with your child about the game and encourage them to contact you if they have any questions or problems.

Be wary of third-party vendors offering Brawl Stars enhancements such as free jewels. Here, personal information and/or money are often demanded without delivering the promised product.

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